GURPS does not require you to spend points to get your native language.
For a character from a mono-linguistic nation like America, this means a single language...
But what of cultures where two or more languages are the norm.
I know several Ex-Canadians whom speak both French and English. I also know several whom know just one fluently, and the other is a dim memory from grade school.
It comes down to the actual background of the character.
I generously allow a second native language for free if the player has managed a sufficiently good background.
It's actually a pretty low bar.
There's lots of Cuban-Americans around here who can speak English and Spanish with equal fluency.
Same for more than one Mexican-American I served with in the Army.
This would also apply to someone born on Earth in the early 2100's. You're going to speak the UN mandated English and the language of your home nation. This would also apply to Terrani who will speak English and Vilani because they are always changing between those languages and cultures.
I also forget to note that Vilani is a tonal language with high and low forms. High and low spoken forms, one written form.
There was a girl I knew who grew up next door to where I now live. She was a Chinese immigrant, and spoke Mandarin at home with her family, but by the time she graduated HS and headed off to college, she was completely native-fluent in English as well. Figuring that she probably couldn't read or write Chinese, she might get a slight disadvantage when in a Chinese-speaking environment.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason why I'm mono-lingual is once I pass the exams, there isn't a thing I can do with it after. Except Latin, I'm still reasonably good at that, but only in science talk, not the shit they tested us on.
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